Search

---
name: search
description: Search vault content by keyword using Grep. Zero dependencies — works in any vault without indexes or plugins. Groups results by directory for easy scanning.
allowed-tools: Grep, Glob, Read
user-invocable: true
---

# Search Skill

Fast keyword search across all vault markdown files using the Grep tool. No indexes, no plugins, no setup — just structured search with directory grouping.

## Usage

```
/search <term>
```

Examples:
- `/search project planning`
- `/search weekly review`
- `/search TODO`

## How to Execute

When the user invokes `/search <term>`:

### Step 1: Search for the term

Use the **Grep** tool to search all `.md` files for the term:

```
Grep:
  pattern: <search term>
  glob: "*.md"
  output_mode: content
  -n: true
  -C: 1
```

Exclude hidden directories (`.claude/`, `.obsidian/`) and templates:

```
Grep:
  pattern: <search term>
  glob: "*.md"
  path: .
  output_mode: content
  -n: true
  -C: 1
```

Filter out results from `.claude/`, `.obsidian/`, and `Templates/` directories.

### Step 2: Group results by directory

Organise matches into sections by their parent directory:

- **Daily Notes/** — journal entries
- **Goals/** — goal and vision documents
- **Projects/** — project notes
- **Archives/** — archived content
- **Inbox/** — unprocessed items
- **(root)** — top-level notes

### Step 3: Present results

Format output as:

```markdown
## Search: "<term>"

### Daily Notes/
- **2024-01-15.md** (line 23): ...matching context...
- **2024-01-14.md** (line 8): ...matching context...

### Projects/
- **Project Alpha.md** (line 45): ...matching context...

### Goals/
- **2024 Goals.md** (line 12): ...matching context...

**Found X matches across Y files**
```

### Step 4: Suggest related content

After showing results, check if any matched files contain `[[wiki-links]]` to other notes. If so, briefly mention:

```
💡 Related notes mentioned in results: [[Note A]], [[Note B]]
```

## No Results

If no matches are found:
1. Suggest alternative search terms (synonyms, related words)
2. Offer to search with case-insensitive matching if the original search was case-sensitive
3. Suggest checking `Archives/` if not already included

## Tips

- Search is case-sensitive by default. Add `-i: true` to the Grep call for case-insensitive search
- Use regex patterns for advanced searches: `task.*complete`, `#tag-name`
- Combine with `/daily` to quickly find when something was mentioned